First cuts made at camp
NORTH BAY, Ont. — The North Bay Battalion’s training camp came into sharper focus Saturday, with a roster reduction to 40 from 51.
The second intrasquad game of the day featured the tighter lineups, with Team White completing a sweep on the day to clinch the Ontario Hockey League club’s camp title with three wins and one loss.
The 11 afternoon cuts included two of five goaltenders, in James Meredith and Jacob Ceranic, which left holdover Mike McIvor, Charlie Larocque and Carter Nadon still in contention for spots. Six forwards and three defencemen also were let go.
With McIvor scratched with a late-developing stomach upset, Nadon and Larocque tended the White and Team Green creases respectively for all of an 8-4 White win that included an empty-netter.
Assistant coaches Matt Marquardt and Bill Houlder oversaw the White and Green benches respectively. Head coach Ryan Oulahen visited each for one period and watched the third 20-minute frame from the stands.
Potential overager Dalyn Wakely made his intrasquad debut in Game 4, which he opened by centring a White line with Stepan Chukharev and Lirim Amidovski. Another White trio had Ethan Procyszyn skating between Adam Smeeton and Natan Teshome.
Camp ends Sunday after the fifth and final intrasquad game at 9 a.m., with fans receiving free admission to Memorial Gardens.
FOURTH GAME RECAP
Stef Forgione scored two goals, including the empty-netter, as White raced to a 7-0 lead before surrendering four consecutive scores on the way to the 8-4 decision. Landen Stevens provided the eventual winner.
Lineups
White: Carter Nadon, Devran Brown, Matthew Darrigan, Sam Rivet, Tyson Rismond, Jacob LeBlanc, Zach Wilson, Bronson Ride, Natan Teshome, Nate Gravelle, Dalyn Wakely, Landen Stevens, Nolan Laird, Reyth Smith, Ethan Procyszyn, Deke Osterhout, Adam Smeeton, Stepan Chukharev, Stef Forgione, Lirim Amidovski.
Green: Charlie Larocque, Wyatt Kennedy, Kent Greer, Aaron Enright, Brayden Turley, Tanner Lawson, Liam Watson, Jacob Therrien, Caleb Dawson, Dylan Richter, Ryder Carey, Jake Salvatore, Kayden Buller, Anthony Romani, Owen Van Steensel, Max Wetherup, Jesse Lefebvre, Ihnat Pazii, Andrew LeBlanc.
White goals: Forgione 2, Chukharev, Smeeton, Osterhout, Amidovski, Stevens, Procyszyn.
Green goals: A. LeBlanc, Lefebvre, Therrien, Buller.
THIRD GAME RECAP
After a scoreless first frame, Chukharev scored what proved to be the second-period winner and Meredith was solid in net, going all the way in White’s 4-1 victory.
Lineups
White: Charlie Larocque, James Meredith, Devran Brown, Matthew Darrigan, Sam Rivet, Antonio Zito, Tyson Rismond, Zach Wilson, Natan Teshome, Nate Gravelle, Caden Dubreuil, Michael Piao, Jack Foley, Landen Stevens, Nolan Laird, Reyth Smith, Deke Osterhout, Adam Smeeton, Stepan Chukharev, Stef Forgione.
Green: Jacob Ceranic, Carter Nadon, Kent Greer, Aaron Enright, Brayden Turley, Tanner Lawson, Jackson Culin, Liam Watson, Jacob Therrien, Caleb Dawson, Dylan Richter, Ryder Carey, Jake Salvatore, Kayden Buller, Owen Van Steensel, Lucas Van Steensel, Max Wetherup, Jesse Lefebvre, Ihnat Pazii, Lirim Amidovski.
White goals: Forgione, Chukharev, Rivet, Dubreuil.
Green goal: Watson.
